Marketers should aim to get their websites on the first page of Google results to maximize their clicks. This may seem like common sense, but a new study supports the idea that businesses see higher CTRs with higher Google rankings.
The top results for Google searches see 36.4 percent click-through rates, according to Optify. The software firm analyzed organic keyword visits for B2B and B2C sites in December 2010 and found there is (as expected) significant value in being No.1 in Google.
In fact, being anywhere on page one of Google search results can be beneficial. The study found that 60 percent of clicks went to the top three Google organic results, and all of the results on page one see an average of 8.9 percent CTRs.
The value of good rankings beyond the first position increases when businesses use long tail keywords. As Brafton has reported, long tail keywords are sometimes proven to bring in more relevant traffic than highly competitive “head” terms. Indeed, Optify found that ranking No. 1 was very important when using head terms, but companies going for long tail SEO see good clicks from results positioned throughout the first page.
Brands that want to get to the top of Google results must invest in high-quality content. As Brafton has reported, many of the sites coming out as winners of the recent Google algorithmic update are specialty sites offering industry-specific content.
